1st March 2018. Where do I queue for spring?

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Thursday 1st March, 19F, -7C, windy and cloudy with the trees swaying. The double glazed windows in the bathroom froze completely over, inside, during the night.

Time for a walk, to warm up, methinks. That proved rather more difficult than yesterday. Today the wind was roaring in the tree tops and had turned easterly. Expected to gust to 30mph+ all day. Lots of tracks in the snow including rats, cats and deer. The roads were caked in several inches of traffic packed snow, in places, blown off the fields.

The main roads were clearer later after a scraping and salting. I managed five lifts of 16 x 10kg for 800kg of wood fuel blocks moved in under half an hour. The temperature is not expected to rise much above zero, even in the daytime, for the next fortnight. So having a few blocks in the house will keep us going until hopefully one of the regular stockists manage to find some.

The wind has dropped a bit and the sun is trying to come out. Leading quickly to yet another snow shower. My anemometers seem to have whizzing around for days now.

Friday 2nd 21-28F, -6-2C, cloudy and windy with only glimpses of the sun. More field walking to avoid the traffic going both ways. The lanes had been "ploughed" to clear the drifting. Leaving large banks of rough snow to be negotiated. The easterly wind seems to be picking up again with the 50' garden trees rocking. Another cold and windy day with no ride.

Saturday 3rd 25F, -4C, heavily overcast and becoming breezy. It had reached 27F, -3C, when I returned from more snowy field wandering. The first bird I saw looked like a large Kestrel as it dived out of sight behind a hump. Possibly a harrier? Then a buzzard left a roadside tree and flapped off into the far distance. Later I spotted a snow white bird of prey resting in a small tree. It allowed me to reach a solitary signpost to brace my binoculars before taking off and disappearing behind trees. I was still 200 yards away so unable to make out any real detail.

Just as I neared home again a Fieldfare landed in the hedge right in front of me. It was all fluffed up and untidy so may have been cold, hungry or unwell. It sat there patiently while I took several snaps. Only when I passed slowly within six feet did it take off and fly cross the road. I hope to be allowed out for a shopping ride today. No.

Sunday 4th 19-29F, -7-2C, breezy but bright, [just for a change.] Threat of sunshine and [finally] positive temperatures [C] tomorrow afternoon. Now comes the thaw and the permafrost turns to liquid mush. For the moment, the roadside slush has turned to rock hard. Another tour of the fields while I still can. Disturbed a number of Wood pigeons and Jackdaws. It's blowing a gale again. Roaring in my ears and in the trees. It has reached 26F, -3C, in bright sunlight, as I wait for morning coffee and rolls. Later, it reached 29F, -2C but a heavy overcast slid across and still windy.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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